Begin openl she handed President Zelensky a questionnaire. The European Commission was available 24 hours a day to assist with the response, von der Leyen said. Today she discusses the outstanding points with Zelensky.
The Commission may then announce on Friday whether Ukraine can become a candidate for membership. It must then meet a series of requirements, including in the field of democracy, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
Ultimately, the EU member states decide whether Ukraine will receive candidate member status. That may be this month. If only one of the 27 member states says no, it will not go through.
No guarantee
France and Germany do not appear to be in favor of an accelerated procedure for Ukraine. An accelerated procedure is also still a point of discussion for the Netherlands.
“It is up to the European Commission to come up with a sensible judgment,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Hoekstra on Thursday in news hour† “Then you must be prepared to look at it openly as the Netherlands.”
Candidate membership does not guarantee a quick admission. Turkey has been a candidate for EU membership since 1999. A number of countries in the Balkans have also been candidate members for years.
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